PORT ST. LUCIE – Braden Looper. Mike DeJean. Felix Heredia. Then uncertainty, uncertainty and uncertainty.
The Mets bullpen still ranks as the team’s biggest concern, just as it was heading into spring training. Essentially, there are 13 relievers competing for three or four openings, depending on whether the Mets carry 11 or 12 pitchers and not factoring in the possibility they eventually could acquire a veteran reliever (Tampa Bay’s Danys Baez or Detroit’s Ugueth Urbina).
How’s the race looking?
“This is wide open,” pitching coach Rick Peterson said. “This is literally, totally wide open.”
Soon enough, it’ll start to close. But for right now, take a peek at the competing arms:
* Scott Strickland. The 28-year-old is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2003. But the righty had several strong seasons and was a strikeout pitcher (241 career whiffs in 236 innings).
Strickland (2 IP, 1 ER this spring) is still working his way back (his improving velocity reached 91 mph in his last outing), but he’s coming. Said Peterson, “He gets better every time he gets on the mound.”
* Heath Bell. The 27-year-old righty is one early pick to claim a job. He followed up a good winter (losing about 30 pounds) with a strong spring so far (5 IP, 0 ER). Bell pitched well in his Mets audition last season (3.33 ERA, 27 Ks, 24 1/3 IP). “They really wanted me to keep the ball down, pound the bottom of the zone,” he said. “I think this spring training, I’ve been doing that.”
* Jae Seo and Matt Ginter. They get lumped together because they’re really starters capable of being long relievers. But don’t be surprised if the Mets don’t carry one, especially because their veteran staff swallows up innings.
* Dae-Sung Koo. Said Peterson, “He’s very intriguing because of his angle.” Koo, a Korean southpaw who played in Japan, has an unusual delivery and opened the spring with a 1-2-3 inning. He’s a strong bet to make the roster.
* Roberto Hernandez. A two-time All-Star, the 40-year-old is trying to catch on with Peterson, his former Double-A and Triple-A pitching coach. A ground-ball pitcher, Hernandez has worked two hitless innings this spring. Said the veteran, “I’ve just got to keep throwing strikes and keep the ball down.”
* Mike Matthews. The 31-year-old lefty has experience and is off to a decent start (3 IP, 1 ER). Peterson touted Matthews’ career lefty-vs.-lefty numbers, and the coach is right: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Matthews has held lefties to a .222 average over his career, with 83 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings.
* Bartolome Fortunato. Acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade, the 30-year-old righty throws hard and posted a 3.86 ERA in 15 games with the Mets last year. What does Peterson want to see? “How easy can you throw hard and locate.”
* Scott Stewart. The former Expos lefty never had an ERA reach 4.00 in his three major-league seasons before slumping to a 6.58 mark last season. But Stewart has tossed three hitless innings this spring. “Just need to pitch like everybody else,” he said.
* Manny Aybar, Francisco Campos, Blake McGinley and Juan Padilla. They are grouped together simply because they’re the most unknown arms in the mix. Aybar hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2003, having spent last year in the Mexican League.
Campos is on loan from the Mexican League, where he posted a 92-63 career record.
McGinley seems like a lefty long shot, but he owns impressive minor-league numbers (28-8, 2.75 ERA).
Padilla, a former Yankee, has fared well this spring (3 IP, 0 ER) and posted a 52-6 strikeouts-to-walks ratio in Triple-A last year.
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Relief in sight
For the Mets, 13 relievers are competing for the team’s remaining three or four bullpen spots (dependent upon whether there are 11 or 12 pitchers on the 25-man roster).
HAVE THEIR SPOTS
RHP Braden Looper
RHP Mike DeJean
LHP Felix Heredia
IN COMPETITION
RIGHTIES (9)
Pitcher Age Games ERA
Manny Aybar 32 186 5.05
Heath Bell* 27 17 3.33
Francisco Campos 32 ML Rookie
Bartolome Fortunato* 30 18 3.81
Matt Ginter* 27 78 5.32
Roberto Hernandez 40 825 3.39
Juan Padilla 28 18 7.71
Jae Seo* 27 57 4.22
Scott Strickland 28 231 3.28
LEFTIES (4)
Pitcher Age Games ERA
Dae-Sung Koo* 35 110 3.88#
Mike Matthews 31 224 4.41
Blake McGinley 26 ML Rookie
Scott Stewart 29 214 3.99
* – currently on 40-man roster; # – in Japanese league
